His mother, Zübeyde, in strict purdah and entirely illiterate, ruled the family. After resigning from his job as a petty Government clerk, his father, Ali Riza, twice failed in business, sought escape from his miseries in alcohol and died of tuberculosis when Mustafa was only seven years old. Please contact us for subscription options.Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in 1881 in a shabby quarter of Salonika.
10 and pay their tributes to Ataturk.Īnadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. 10, 1938, when he passed away in Istanbul at the age of 57 due to cirrhosis.Īs a tradition, Turkish people visit his mausoleum in Ankara every Nov. 29, 1923.Ītaturk became the first president of the republic and served in that capacity until Nov. The incredible achievements on the battlefield led to Turkish independence, and the Republic of Turkey was founded on Oct. Turkish army, under the leadership of Ataturk, won incredible battles against the occupant forces - including the first and second Battles of Inonu, Sakarya, and the Great Offensive - until 1923 when the Lausanne Treaty was signed on July 24. The struggle for Turkish independence started on May 15, 1919, when the first bullet against the occupant Greek forces was fired by Hasan Tahsin, a Turkish journalist who was martyred shortly after his action. On April 23, 1920, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was established and Ataturk was elected as the head of the government and speaker of the parliament, which enabled him to adopt laws essential to beat occupant forces. He fought against the British army in Damascus in 1918, and led a successful resistance against it.įollowing the occupation of Istanbul by the allies in 1919, Ataturk went to the northern Samsun province as the inspector of the 9th army, completely changing his life and, eventually, Turkey.Īfter proclaiming that the country's liberation from the occupant forces would only be possible through the will of the people, he organized two congresses - in the cities of Sivas and Erzurum - where the battle of independence and the country's future was discussed. His star continued to shine during his services in northwestern Edirne province and southeastern Diyarbakir province in 1916, earning the title of major general that same year. Ataturk's order to his soldiers at the war still echoes in the hearts of all Turks: "I don't order you to attack, I order you to die!"
In a letter to Acting Chief Commander Enver Pasha, Ataturk requested to be in the field, suspending his duty in Sofia.Ītaturk and Turkish soldiers made history by showing incredible resistance. In 1914, when Ataturk was a military attache in Sofia, World War I started and the allies deployed soldiers on the Gallipoli peninsula as the battle of Dardanelles (Canakkale) began. As a major, he played a significant role in recapturing the Dimetoka and Edirne provinces. He drew the attention of his subordinates with his outstanding services following the start of the Balkan Wars in 1912. The year 1911 marked a significant point in Ataturk's life as he fought the Italians in Tripoli and won a decisive victory, proving his skills in the military field.
With his extraordinary skills, Ataturk quickly climbed the military ranks, becoming a staff captain in 1905. He continued his education at the Military School of Istanbul and then graduated as a lieutenant in 1902. Along with military skills, Ataturk also learned the French language. His military education started in 1893 when he was enrolled in a military school in Thessaloniki. Turkey commemorates 83rd anniversary of Ataturk's demiseĪtaturk was born in 1881 in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, then part of the Ottoman Empire.